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Jake Joseph
Jake Joseph (born 21st October 1947) is a former Conservative MP and education secretary. Renowned for his debating and the way in which he stood by his morals, Joseph rose through the ranks under Prime Minister Dale Weston to be included in his cabinet during the final days of Conservative government. He retired from front bench politics in 1997, following the parties loss in the general election, and the subsequent election of Catherine Wales as Conservative leader. However, he returned to the shadow cabinet under Teresa Edison to fight the first election in 1999, however soon retired again, citing a need to spend more time with his family. Early Career Joseph was born in Bedfordshire on the 21st of October 1947. His father had fought in the second world war, and his mother had worked in the war office as a secretary. At the age of six, Joseph's father inherited the family law firm from his father, and was able to send his son to the private boys school Bedford Modern. It was here that Joseph developed his passion for politics, engaging in school debating teams and studying politics at GCE level. In 1964, at the age of 17, Joseph joined the Conservative Party, starting out as an activist in the relatively Labour area of Luton. However, his quick thinking and obvious talent to win voters over caught the attention of the then MP for Bedford, Christopher Soames. He worked for Soames until his electoral defeat in the 1966 election, when Joseph himself decided to stand as a Conservative councillor for Bedford. He lost out in the local elections of 1967, and started work at the family law firm as a trainee barrister. Selection In 1970, Joseph began work again as a Party activist, this time back in his home constituency of mid Bedfordshire. It is here he helped the Conservative candidate Stephen Hastings retain the seat which he had won in a by election in the early 1960s. Hastings then employed Joseph as a parliamentary researcher, causing him to leave his occupation in the family law firm. He carried on as Hastings researcher until 1975, when Margaret Thatcher (recently elected leader of the Conservatives) selected Joseph as the candidate for the seat of mid Bedfordshire in 1979, following Hastings announcement he was to step down at the next election. Time in Parliament After winning his seat in 1979 (aged 32), Joseph went on to become something of a wise old backbencher, making speeches on issues he felt were important. He was the first man to openly support Margaret Thatcher's free market policies in the commons. He won the 1983 election with an increased majority, doing the same in 1987. By the time Thatcher resigned, Emsley had become known as a Thatcherite through and through, and had previously been tipped for a place in Thatchers cabinet. Alas, he was overlooked and was to remain a backbencher throughout the time of both John Major and Neil Collier, becoming known as a prominent right winger in the Party. Joseph was also one of the Maastricht rebels of 1992. Following his promotion into Dale Westons cabinet in 1996 as secretary of state for social affairs, Joseph quickly devised legislation to reform the curriculum, as well as being instrumental in defending the unpopular school fences act. However, It was not his legislation that he became known for, but rather his open criticism of the EU and, more interestingly, socialism. in 1998, the then Liberal Democrat leader Edward Kensington accused Joseph of making socialism a "taboo topic." Life after Parliament After Joseph retired for the last time in 1999, he stayed out of the public eye for a few months, before returning to write a column in the Telegraph about the dangers of the EU. He is now seen as a regular columnist, and some speculation has been growing as to whether or not he still holds influence in the Conservative Party (something which he denies.)